15 MAY 2021 CURRENT AFFAIRS | UPSC CDS CAPF NDA AFCAT SSB

1. CYCLONE ‘TAUKTAE’

Cyclone ‘Tauktae’, which lay as a deep depression over the Arabian Sea close to Lakshadweep, was likely to intensify into a ‘very severe cyclonic storm’ with wind speeds of 150-160 kmph gusting to 175 kmph, bringing heavy to very heavy rain to many parts of the western coast, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

About:

There is yet not clear whether the cyclonic storm will cross the Gujarat coast or just skirt it by May 18.
It is very likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 12 hours and is very likely to intensify further during the subsequent 24 hours and move north, north-westwards, IMD said.
In view of Cyclone Tauktae warning, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has deployed 24 teams in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

Source : Times of India

2. HOMEN BORGOHAIN

Eminent Assamese litterateur and journalist Homen Borgohain died in Guwahati following post-Covid complications.

About:

His body of work includes 11 novels and four non-fictions.
He won the Sahitya Akademi in 1978 for his novel Pita Putra but returned the award in 2015 to protest the growing intolerance in India.
He was serving as the editor-in-chief of Assamese daily Niyomiya Barta until his death.
He has been separated from his wife Nirupama Borgohain, also a noted litterateur and journalist, for several years.

Source : The Hindu

3. GAZA

Israel bombarded Gaza with artillery and air strikes following a new barrage of rocket fire from the Hamas-run enclave, intensifying a conflict that has claimed more than 120 lives.

About:

The Gaza Strip or simply Gaza, is a self-governing Palestinian territory.
It is located on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the east and north border.
Gaza and the West Bank are claimed by the de jure sovereign State of Palestine. The territories of Gaza and the West Bank are separated from each other by Israeli territory.
Both fell under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority, but the strip has since the Battle of Gaza in June 2007 been governed by Hamas, a Palestinian fundamentalist militant Islamic organization which came to power in the last-held elections in 2006.
It has been placed under an Israeli and US-led international economic and political boycott from that time onwards.

Source : The Hindu

4. ELEPHANT CASUALTIES ON RAILWAY LINES

A total of 186 elephants were killed after being hit by trains across India between 2009-10 and 2020-21, according to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

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Assam accounted for the highest number of elephant casualties on railway tracks (62), followed by West Bengal (57), and Odisha (27). Uttar Pradesh saw just one death.

Measures taken to avoid elephant casualties on railway lines

A Permanent Coordination Committee was constituted between the Ministry of Railways (Railway Board) and the MoEFCC for preventing elephant deaths in train accidents.
Clearing of vegetation along railway tracks to enable clear view for loco pilots, setting up underpass/overpass for safe passage of elephants, regulation of train speed from sunset to sunrise in vulnerable stretches, and regular patrolling of vulnerable stretches of railway tracks are among other initiatives the Ministry has undertaken.
The MoEFCC released ₹212.49 crore to elephant range States under Centrally Sponsored Schemes (CSS) of Project Elephant to protect elephants, their habitat and corridors, to address man-elephant conflicts, and for the welfare of captive elephants, between 2011-12 and 2020-21.

Source : The Hindu

5. RED-EARED SLIDER

A ‘cute’ American turtle popular as pet is threatening to invade the natural water bodies across the Northeast, which is home to 21 of the 29 vulnerable native Indian species of freshwater turtles and tortoises.

About:

Between August 2018 and June 2019, a team of herpetologists from the NGO ‘Help Earth’ found red-eared sliders in the Deepor Beel Wildlife Sanctuary and the Ugratara temple pond — both in Guwahati.
The red-eared slider (Trachemys scripta elegans) derives its name from red stripes around the part where its ears would be and from its ability to slide quickly off any surface into the water.
Native to the U.S. and northern Mexico, this turtle is an extremely popular pet ... But on the flip side they grow fast and virtually leave nothing for the native species to eat.
Much like the Burmese python that went to the U.S. as a pet to damage the South Florida Everglades ecosystem, the red-eared slider has already affected States such as Karnataka and Gujarat, where it has been found in 33 natural water bodies.
But more than elsewhere in India, preventing this invasive species from overtaking the Brahmaputra and other river ecosystems in the Northeast is crucial because the Northeast is home to more than 72% of the turtle and tortoise species in the country, all of them very rare.

Source : The Hindu

6. ‘MICE RAIN’ IN EASTERN AUSTRALIA

The government of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia has extended a support package of $50 million to farmers to deal with a devastating mouse plague that has affected farmers, community members and residents.

About:

To control the plague, the government has now authorised the use of an otherwise outlawed poison called
The current plague is being called one of the worst plagues in decades and started being reported around mid-March in Australia’s eastern states. In some places, residents of affected areas reported mice falling out from roof tops causing “mice rain”.

Reasons

Researchers attributes the plague to an unusually abundant grain harvest, which caused a surplus of mice earlier in the season.
Add to this the fact that mice have a short breeding cycle (a pair of breeding mice can give birth to a new litter every 21 days or so) and are not very choosy about food. Rodents (which includes rats and mice) are the second most successful mammals on the planet after humans.

Important Info :

How does a plague of this scale affect people?

Rodents are capable of destroying food grains and can cause widespread damage to domestic households, commercial businesses, farms, manufacturers and livestock. Further, rodents can not only gnaw through materials but can also ruin supplies by excreting on them.
Rodents can also cause diseases such as leptospirosis and typhus fever. They can also carry fleas or ticks that can harm pets and humans.

Source : Indian Express

7. TRIBALS IN ODISHA

With the second wave of COVID-19 sweeping across the rural heartland of Odisha, infections are being reported among the Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs).

About:

As many as 21 tribals across eight different PVTGs in the State have so far tested positive, including two from the Bonda tribe, known for its secluded lifestyle. Bonda people live in highlands, 3,500-feet above sea level, in Malkangiri, the southern-most district of Odisha.
Four members of Dongria Kondh, another PVTG, have tested positive in Parasali panchayat of Kalyansinghpur block in Rayagada district.

Important Info :

Diverse tribes

Odisha has among the largest and most diverse tribal populations in the country.
Of the 62 tribal groups residing in Odisha, 13 are recognised as PVTGs.
According to the 2011 Census, Odisha’s share of the country’s total tribal population was 9%. Tribals constitute 22.85% of State’s population.
The PVTGs in the states are Bonda, Birhor, Chuktia Bhunjia, Didayi, Dongaria Kandha, Hill Kharia, Juang, Kutia Kondh, Lanjia Saora, Lodha, Mankirdia, Paudi Bhuyan and Saora.
These PVTGs have been identified on the basis of stagnant or diminishing populations, subsistence level of economy associated with pre-agricultural stages of hunting, food gathering and shifting cultivation, and relative physical isolation.

Source : The Hindu

8. MALERKOTLA

Punjab Chief Minister announced the creation of a new district of Malerkotla, carving the state’s only Muslim-majority town from Sangrur district.

About:

Malerkotla will be the 23rd district of the State.
Adjoining Amargarh and Ahmedgarh will also form part of Malerkotla district.
Initially the sub-divisions of Malerkotla and Ahmedgarh, as well as the sub-tehsil of Amargarh, would be included in the newly created district. The process of bringing villages under the jurisdiction of Malerkotla district would begin later, after the conclusion of census operations.

Important Info :

History

Tracing the town’s history, the chief minister said it was established in 1454 by Sheikh Sadruddin-i-Jahan from Afghanistan and subsequently the State of Malerkotla was established in 1657 by Bayazid Khan.
Malerkotla was later merged with other nearby princely states to create the Patiala and East Punjab States Union (PEPSU). During the reorganisation of states in 1956, the territory of the erstwhile State of Malerkotla became part of Punjab.

Source : The Hindu

9. IRON DOME SYSTEM

The Iron Dome aerial defence system intercepted a Hamas Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that crossed from Gaza into Israel, Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said on social media

About:

Iron Dome is a multi-mission system capable of intercepting rockets, artillery, mortars and Precision Guided Munitions like very short range air defence (V-SHORAD) systems as well as aircraft, helicopters and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) over short ranges of up to 70 km.
It is an all-weather system and can engage multiple targets simultaneously and be deployed over land and sea. Iron Dome is manufactured by Rafael Advanced Defence Systems and has been in service with Israeli Air Force since 2011. The radar system was developed by Elta.
Its development was prompted after a series of rocket attacks on Israel by Hezbollah and Hamas in the 2000s.

How does it work?

An Iron Dome battery consists of a battle management control unit, a detection and tracking radar and a firing unit of three vertical launchers, with 20 interceptor missiles each.
The interceptor missile uses a proximity fuse to detonate the target warhead in the air.
The Iron Dome is deployed in a layered defence along with David’s Sling and Arrow missile defence system which are designed for medium- and long-range threats.
The I-DOME is the mobile variant with all components on a single truck and C-DOME is the naval version for deployment on ships.

Important Info :

Benefits

One of the system’s important advantages is its ability to identify the anticipated point of impact of the threatening rocket, to calculate whether it will fall in a built-up area or not, and to decide on this basis whether or not to engage it.
This prevents unnecessary interception of rockets that will fall in open areas and thus not cause damage, the paper states. The system has intercepted thousands of rockets so far and, according to Rafael, its success rate is over 90%.

Source : The Hindu

10. N RATHNASREE

Dr N Rathnasree, Director of Nehru Planetarium, New Delhi passed away due to Covid complications.

About:

Dr Rathnasree was also a notable member of the Astronomical Society of India, and was also the first ever chairperson of the Public Outreach and Education Committee (POEC) set up in 2014.
One of the key initiatives of Rathnasree was ‘Astro Adda’, an online discussion forum held every fortnight where students could come together and discuss astronomy-related topics.

Important Info :

Nehru Planetariums?

Nehru Planetariums are the five planetariums in India, named after India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. These are located in Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune and Bangalore, plus there is a Jawahar Planetarium in Prayagraj, where Nehru was born.
The Nehru Planetarium in New Delhi is situated on the grounds of Teen Murti Bhavan, officially known as 'Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML)', earlier the official residence of India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru and now a museum in his memory.

Source : Indian Express

15 MAY 2021 CURRENT AFFAIRS | UPSC CDS CAPF NDA AFCAT SSB

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